An English soccer fan who disappeared while traveling to the United States for the World Cup has been found safe in Spain, ten days after he last contacted his family. Michael Hewitt, 65, was discovered in a Barcelona pub, reportedly unaware that his family had launched a widespread search for him.
Hewitt, a supporter of Leeds United, last spoke to his family on June 21, one day after departing the United Kingdom. His original plan was to travel to Boston, where England was scheduled to play a World Cup match. However, he lost his phone shortly after arriving in Barcelona, which contained all his travel tickets. Without his phone, Hewitt became stranded in the city.
According to his brother, Gary, Hewitt did not have access to internet services and was unaware of the efforts to locate him. Instead, he spent his time in Barcelona watching England's World Cup matches in local bars. His family had last seen Facebook posts of him at a bar in Barcelona before he lost contact.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Interpol became involved in the investigation, as relatives disseminated his image and details across social media. After ten days, the British Embassy in Spain was able to locate Hewitt's hotel by tracking his card payments. He was then put in contact with his family the following day.
Gary Hewitt expressed his relief on Facebook, stating that the family was grateful for the happy resolution. "As a family, we desperately wanted an embarrassingly simple but happy ending to this horrendous episode, and we now have that," he wrote. He also referenced the Leeds United anthem, "It’s amazing what can be achieved when the good people of the world go Marching on Together."